Dangers of the Forest
by ghostlycat543
Summary: Harry, thinking about the killer Sirius Black, takes a stroll in the Forest one night. Oops. Werewolf!Harry. Up for adoption!
1. Chapter 1

This takes place in the middle of Prisoner of Azkaban, around late December. Everyone is still in school, but break will begin soon. **Will be eventual slash! **

This is something my sleep-deprived brain cooked up while in the midst of Chemistry class... all of which I know already... yet somehow I have a D... yeah. So, anywho, here's a goodie. My apologies about the lines. I can't get rid of them! Meh! headdesk Enjoy!

* * *

Harry sighed restlessly. Knowing that a cold-blooded killer was searching for him was not helping him sleep at all. It was late December, and Harry was pacing his dorm, staring longingly at the grounds. He nodded to himself and, after digging through his trunk, left the dorm under the Invisibility Cloak.

He crept past Filch and the Prefects with practiced ease and reveled in the feeling of being outside, even if it was nearly midnight, and snowing.

Smiling, he looked around at the grounds. Now, where did he want to go? The answer seemed obvious enough… the Forbidden Forest .

Remus Lupin realized too late that Severus had somehow messed up with the Wolfsbane Potion. And he wasn't in the Shrieking Shack tonight.

Oh, crud.

Harry picked past the thorny plants that guarded the Forest , knowing that if he touched one, it would alert the castle to a student being there. Having gotten past that obstacle, he jumped over a few fallen logs, just for the fun of it.

Having had his fun, Harry wandered around, thinking. Thinking here in the Forest was much more relaxing than pacing in his dorm.

Well, it had been, until he heard a sudden howl coming from not too far away.

Uh oh.

Harry glanced at the sky. Yeah, it was a full moon tonight.

Uh oh.

Harry began edging away from where the howl had come from, then panic overruled good sense and he fled toward the edge of the Forest .

The wolf caught the scent of a troubled teenage boy. A small part of him shouted not to do this, but the rest of the wolf didn't care. He howled, warning other wolves that the boy was _his_.

He crept up to the human, making sure that his paws couldn't be heard on the ground. A scrawny-looking boy with wild hair and a weird scar stood there, as if paralyzed.

Good.

Suddenly the boy started moving away. Stupid boy. Didn't he realize he was standing right where the wolf could spring?

And spring he did. He jumped and knocked the boy down as his back was partially turned away from the wolf. He smelled the boy and whimpered. He knew this boy; he just _knew_ it!

Well, even if he _did_ know the pup or not, he still smelled good. So, naturally, the wolf leaned down and bit him, his teeth barely breaking the flesh of the boy and seeing how tender the meat was.

Fortunately for the boy, he really tasted nasty. The wolf got up off the newly-turned werewolf and went off in search of some deer or something to get rid of his hunger.

Harry couldn't believe it. After biting him, the werewolf just _left_?! Was that proper protocol?

Harry pulled himself up with a small groan of pain. Fortunately, the wolf hadn't crushed any bones or anything like that, but he was still infected. Wasn't he?

Loathe as he was to admit it, Harry thought it a good time to visit Madame Pomfrey.

Whee! I FINALLY finished typing this up! It's super short, but don't worry. I have a whole bunch written out. Now, to just get it all typed... hm.

Ah well. I'll see how you respond to this first, then update. All righty? Okay!

Best,

Cat


	2. Chapter 2

Poppy Pomfrey started as her most frequent patient strolled in the doors of her infirmary.

"Mr. Potter!" she screeched. "What could you possibly have done at this hour?!"

He looked sheepish. "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk. I got bitten while I was outside, and I thought it would be good if you checked it out."

She huffed impatiently, but scanned him all the same. She stifled a gasp as she read the results, and then cleared her throat. "Excuse me, Mr. Potter." She murmured as she hurried into her office. She closed the door gently, then headed over to the fireplace. Poppy threw in a pinch of Floo powder and called Albus and Minerva to get down to the infirmary as soon as possible.

While Poppy was waiting, she thought about the poor boy still in her Hospital Wing. Did he know he'd been bitten by a werewolf? He must have, or else he wouldn't have come to her. Harry Potter was notorious for not coming to her when he needed help…

Poppy wondered what the unfortunate boy was thinking right now.

Harry glanced up as Hogwarts' two top authority figures walked in the door. He wondered vaguely how they'd gotten here so fast. Hermione HAD drilled it into him that no one could Apparate in Hogwarts, and he knew that there weren't any fireplace to Floo into near here.

As he pulled himself out of his thoughts, Poppy Pomfrey walked out of her office as she heard her wards announce that two more people had walked in. She eagerly greeted her colleagues, then glanced at Harry who looked uncomfortable. She didn't blame him, the poor dear.

"Well," she started, looking again at Albus and Minerva. "Mr. Potter came in here and asked for me to scan over a bit he'd received."

She paused. Albus looked grim, and the usual twinkle in his eye was not present. He obviously had guessed what was coming next. Poppy sighed and turned to Harry.

"Mr. Potter, you're a werewolf now."

Surprisingly, the boy did not react violently, as the three older people were expecting. Instead, he just sighed and stated, "I thought so. I just needed to be sure." He looked up at the Headmaster and his Head of House. "What should I do? Should I go back to the dorm with the others?" he asked.

Minerva and Albus looked at Poppy, who shrugged. She saw no harm in him returning to the other boys' presence. Not now, anyways. Albus correctly read her intentions, and told Harry, "For right now, I think that would be best. We should keep this quiet. I shall inform the staff of your new status."

Minerva warned, "Harry, be careful. Research werewolves, and especially beware of silver. We'll change silverware, so no worries for when you eat."

Harry felt embarrassed, but knew that it was necessary. No need to make Sirius Black's job easier by getting silver poisoning.

Harry made his way to Gryffindor Tower, sat on his bed, and sighed. He may be acting calm on the outside, but his thoughts were in a whirl. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep until he researched werewolves. Just so he knew. He wondered vaguely if Hermione knew any good books for his research. She should. After all, she had done that essay for Snape.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked, concerned. Harry was falling asleep right there at the breakfast table, using his pancakes as a pillow.

"Yeah." He said, sitting up for the fourth time. "I just didn't get much sleep last night. There was too much going on in my head."

Hermione nodded sympathetically. "I know that feeling well. And it can't be easy for you," she glanced around before lowering her voice, "what with Black escaped."

Harry closed his eyes again, this time, it seemed, not because he was tired. He nodded anyways, then changed the topic.

"Hermione, do you know any good books on werewolves?" he asked, no seemingly more alert.

She nodded and rattled off a list of books, all of which Harry scribbled down. When she was done, she asked, "Why?"

He smiled and got up. "I'm just doing a bit of research."

He left the Great Hall, leaving Hermione staring at him, wondering who he was and what he'd done with Harry Potter.

* * *

_Although the werewolf is commonly seen as a vicious animal with a lust for human blood this isn't true. The werewolf is merely a person with a weakness occurring a few nights of the month._

Harry though he liked this book. Some of the others had been very anti-werewolf. He'd had to close them right away. Harry read on:

_A newly-turned werewolf will slowly gain its heightened senses until the 48th hour of their turning. Then the change will be complete. _

_A new werewolf, when they find their sire, will feel halfway complete. The other half will be filled when they find their mate. It is not commonly known that werewolves have mates. Mates can be of any age or gender. _

_A werewolf and its mate usually have a dominant-submissive relationship. Either one may be whichever; the werewolf, though physically stronger, may be submissive If their mate is stronger emotionally. _

"Mister Potter!"

Harry's head jerked up, only to see the pitying eyes of Madame Pince, the librarian. She said simply, "You'd best be leaving, or you'll be late."

He nodded and held up the book. "May I check this out?"

She waved a dismissive hand at him. "Take it. I have more copies."

He nodded and gave her a small smile. "Thank you." He said, and rushed off to Herbology.

As the rest of the school was having dinner that night, Harry wandered the halls. He had an urge pulling him through corridors he didn't know existed. He stared at the door that his feet had led him to. He somehow knew that his sire lived within. He knocked gently and gaped as Lupin opened the door. He swayed dangerously and Lupin reached out to steady him.

Harry said in amazement, "You're a werewolf?!" before he collapsed in a dead faint.

Remus Lupin carried Harry easily to the living room. He saw that the couch was cluttered with scrolls and scowled.

"Severus!" he snapped. His mate appeared in a doorway quickly but frowned when he saw Harry.

"What, Remus?" he snapped back, not happy about having his enemy's son in his rooms.

"Clean off the couch, please? He knows I'm a werewolf. I need to know what and how he knows. "

As Remus spoke, Severus picked up his scrolls and Remus laid Harry down on the couch gently.

Now, the two mates reasoned, they wait.

Harry opened his eyes, confused at his unfamiliar setting. As his memory caught up to him, he felt embarrassed. Why on earth had he said that to Professor Lupin?

He sat up slowly and looked at the surroundings. The room he was in was a good mix of dark wooden cabinets and tables, while red was the other dominating color. He grinned; it was obvious a Gryffindor lived here!

As if to emphasize his thoughts, Professor Lupin walked in. "Ah, Harry, glad to see that you're up. Now, do you remember coming here?"

Harry nodded and felt his face flush. "I'm really sorry, Professor. I was just … surprised, that was all."

Lupin was sitting motionlessly on one of the red chairs. "How did you know?"

Harry felt his face heat up even more, if that was possible. "It's hard to explain. I just felt it. I guess that's the only way to explain it." He finished lamely.

Lupin pressed, "How did you know about the lycanthropy?"

Rather than try to explain again, Harry showed the bite on his left arm. Lupin paled further at the sight and stared as he called, "Severus! Come in here!"

Harry's eyes widened as he saw Snape rush into the room and demand, "What is it, Remus?"

Lupin merely pointed at Harry and Snape raked Harry's appearance with a sneer. But as he caught sight of the bit mark, the sneer slid off his face. He glanced at Lupin, as if unsure how to react.

Harry broke the silence. "I guess my feet just led me here, Professor. Something inside said - " here, he gulped, nervous. " – that my sire was in here. So, I just assumed…" He looked away.

When he looked back, he saw that Lupin had his face in his hands, and Snape was rubbing his back in soothing circles. Snape caught his eye and frowned, but Harry knew that it was more out of worry for Lupin than because of him.

"Harry, I am so sorry!" Lupin said, his voice soft and muffled by his fingers. "I never intended for this to happen."

Harry nodded. "I know, Professor."

And somehow, he did know. Lupin had wished this no more on him than he had on himself. Lupin obviously felt terrible. And while Harry wasn't thrilled with his new 'status' as Dumbledore had put it, he didn't want Lupin to feel worse.

Snape spoke next. "Albus told us today, Remus, but I didn't believe it. That's why I didn't tell you." He glanced at Harry. "It seems that Remus is in fact your sire. Potter, have you done _any_ research on werewolves?"

"Some." Harry admitted. "I don't know much about the bond between a sire and … what would I be?"

"Cub." Rasped Remus.

Severus resumed rubbing Remus' back. "Apparently the bond between sire and cub is very strong. The sire is usually incredibly protective of the cub, and the cub…" here Severus looked a bit uncomfortable. "Well, the cub will view upon the sire and the sire's mate as parents. This is usually somewhat confusing for the cub, but with your situation, Potter."

"Of course, of course." Interrupted Harry. He gave Severus a calculating look. "You're Professor Lupin's mate, aren't you, sir?"

Severus paused, then nodded.

Harry now looked confused. "But I thought you two…"

"Hated each other?" said Remus, joining the conversation. At Harry's nod, Remus cracked a smile for the first time. "Not quite. I told Severus – Professor Snape – about us being mates about halfway through the summer, and after Professor Dumbledore gave me the Defense position-"

"I wasn't too pleased." Interrupted Severus. "But then, last month, everything worked out.

Harry took this to meet that they got together, but merely nodded. He looked at Remus. "How do you know?"

Remus considered. "Smell. It hasn't been 48 hours yet, has it?" As Harry shook his head, Remus continued. "After the 48 hours, you will have to be very careful. It may be advised that you find each and every person in this castle. Chances are, you will know right then."

Silence reigned for a few moments, then Harry asked in a small voice, "Does it hurt?"

Remus looked surprised. "Finding your mate?"

But Harry shook his head. "Changing. Whatever you want to call it."

Remus sent Severus a look. In response, Severus got up and left the two werewolves to talk.

**Well, it took me long enough to update this thing. I'm sorry! And it's not even really that good! -weeps-**

**W-e-e-ell, I have a few more chapters written out. All I have to do is type it up now. Ooh, boy. Well, it'll be a lot easier now that I'm on summer vacation. Doesn't real life suck sometimes when all you want to do is sit and write/type? -sigh-**

**All I ask of you is to please read and review! As it is summer, flames will be tossed into a bonfire so I can have a party!**

**Best,**

**Cat**


	3. Chapter 3

Harry left the room, happier than he'd been all day. Remus (as he'd insisted on being called ... except for class, of course) and Severus (who had allowed the first-name basis reluctantly) had cleared up a lot of things for Harry. Including, of course, how to tell his friends.

Harry emerged from the unknown part of the castle into a part he did know, and found himself missing his sire and Severus already. Harry was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't even notice when Ron and Hermione came up from behind him and started talking. He started and they started laughing.

"Sorry," chuckled Hermione, "We thought you were here."

"I wasn't." Harry replied, smiling. "What's up?"

"McGonagall wanted to see you." Ron said, giving Harry an odd look. "What did you do, mate, and why did you do it without us?"

Harry's smile turned grim. "Trust me, Ron. You wouldn't have wanted to do what I did."

Having said this, he stalked away, followed by a confused pair of friends.

"What do you mean?" demanded Hermione, her brain obviously running at a million miles an hour.

Harry clucked his tongue impatiently, never slowing his pace. "Thing about it, Hermione." he snapped. "What have I asked you about recently?"

Seeing an abandoned classroom ahead, he directed his friend into it and put a silencing charm over the door, so anyone listening in wouldn't be able to hear.

Hermione gasped, and Harry thought she'd figured it out.

"Boggarts!"

He sighed, McGonagall was still waiting for him, after all. "No, Hermione. Werewolves."

Ron stood, a murderous glint in his eye. "Do you mean to tell me," he said quietly, like the calm before the storm, "that you've been bitten?"

Harry paused, then nodded.

_Smack!_

Harry staggered back, his cheek burning where it had been slapped. "What the hell was that for?!" he shouted. Hermione didn't say anything about his language, just stared at him.

"You stay away from me and my family, _werewolf!_" Ron snarled.

Harry felt as if he had been punched in the stomach as well as been slapped. "What?"

"You heard me!" Ron said, but his voice now shook.

Harry was stunned. "We've been best friends since first year, Ron, and you're willing to give up our friendship because of something I can't control? It's not like I went up to - up to the werewolf and said, 'Hey, bite me!'" Harry said angrily. "Merlin, it only happened last night!"

Ron and Hermione said nothing and Harry sighed. "You two talk over whether or not you still want to be my friends, and let me know later. I have to see McGonagall."

With that, he turned and stormed out of the room, careful to slam the door.

* * *

The meeting with McGonagall was short. Basically, be careful, avoid silver, don't tell anyone ("though I suppose Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger already know"), talk to Remus, and find your mate. 

It was nothing Harry hadn't heard before.

So, it was a slightly angry Harry that walked into the common room that night. Between Ron and McGonagall, he hadn't had the best day.

He wanted his sire.

Harry looked around the empty common room and it occurred to him that dinner was going on in the Great Hall right about now, and he should be hungry.

Maybe emotional roller coasters take away your appetite, Harry mused. Maybe that's why he was always so thin.

He flopped down in his favorite chair and propped his feet up on the coffee table. Were werewolves really so feared in the wizarding world? From Remus' explanation and Ron's reaction, it certainly seemed so. Obviously, it seemed that McGonagall (and everyone else) was right, Harry had to keep this quiet.

All of a sudden, the portrait hole opened and Gryffindors piled in, laughing and talking loudly. Harry was looking at a very giggly pair of fifth year girls when he sensed people standing next to him.

"Here." Ron said, stuffing a sandwich into Harry's hand. He sat down on the couch, looking away. Hermione sat closer, looking smug.

Harry looked at Hermione and hissed at her, "What did you do?"

She flashed her smug smile at him, but didn't say anything. Harry rolled his eyes, shook his head, and ate his sandwich.

* * *

That night was very uncomfortable for Harry. He sensed his body changing - maybe getting taller, Harry hoped. Muscles ached, and bones popped. The bite seemed glow in the moonlight. His nails became a bit harder and sharper. Harry _felt_ his magic swirling around him, and thought that he'd be both magically and physically stronger. Harry had to be careful; Remus had told him that the usual effects. At least in this he was normal.

* * *

"Wow, you're not having a lot of luck with sleep lately, are you?" Hermione asked lightly, as she plucked scrambled eggs out of Harry's hair. 

Her friend mumbled a response, and stuffed a bit of bacon into his mouth, eyes half-closed.

Ron laughed nervously. Hermione knew it was because of Harry's new werewolf-ness. "Don't worry, Harry!" he cried, over-exuberant. "You'll do better tonight, I'll bet!"

Harry paid attention to this statement and nodded. "I hope so." he said, softly.

* * *

**Hi! -waves-**

Well, here's chapter three! I hope you enjoyed it! It's one of my favorites, so far.

Oh, and this will be a Harry/Lucius fic. Yeah. :) So... yeah. I am not changing it. I did warn that it would be a slash story!

REVIEWER RESPONSES!

Nicomy43: Thanks! And marshmallows are always welcomed. (I have a feeling I'll need them, now that I've released the pairing...) :)

Vellouette: No, I refuse to have Harry with Ron. Nuh uh. Thanks, by the way. I don't like how Hermione is always the one to tell them everything. I mean, at this time, they're thirteen! Hermione is NOT their mother! (No matter how much she may act like it...) :)

vampire dragoness warior: Well, I like my Severus/Remus pairing. I love Tonks/Remus in canon, but not here, now. And Remus is more of a father figure to Harry, in my mind. Harry needs someone to show him the ropes, so to speak, and I can't have the one person able to do that not, because they're together! I mean, what if Remus and Harry had a fight, and Remus, in spite, withheld some important information away from Harry! Oooh, I like that... Thank you for the plot bunny in this response:)

Chapter four shall be up whenever I get a chance to type. Though with my SAT course and doing three more classes online before actual school starts in a month... eek.

**Best,**

**Cat**


	4. Chapter 4

Classes seemed to drag on for Harry. He felt himself changing, and couldn't wait to go see Remus. He needed to see his sire, of only to compare notes.

In Transfiguration, a Slytherin conversation caught his interest.

"What is going on with Potter?" said a low voice. Harry thought it was Malfoy.

"Drakie-poo, why do you care about that nasty half-blooded Gryffindor?" cooed a voice that definitely belonged to Parkinson. Harry snickered. Drakie-poo?

"I don't know." Malfoy said softly. "I feel different lately. And I'll bet that he's the cause of it."

Harry rolled his eyes. A bite like his wouldn't affect Malfoy.

Unless...

Oh, Merlin, no.

Malfoy wasn't his MATE?!

Harry's eyes widened and he turned to stare at Malfoy and Parkinson. They were whispering at the back of the room. Wow, the new senses _were_ strong!

Finally, the last class of the day: Potions. Harry had never liked it, but now with his sire's mate teaching the class (instead of just Professor Snape), maybe things would be different?

Well, maybe not.

"Potter!" ground out Severus. "Your daisy petals are not properly cut up! Get some more and do it again!"

Harry got up to get the petals, his wolf side chastened. His human side was saying that Snape was _always_ like this.

It was very confusing.

Harry thought that he'd have to talk with Remus and Severus. He would do anything for either of them - he knew that now. How strange; two days ago, he'd never have thought this.

But it was going to be hard, acting like nothing had happened. He would have to ignore all "cub-like" urges for Remus and Severus.

This _would_ be hard!

* * *

Severus saw how Harry ad adopted a kicked-puppy look when he had snapped about the flower petals. He sighed. Perhaps it was time to teach the boy Occlumency.

"Potter!" he snapped. Harry looked up quickly, almost eagerly. "Stay after class. I obviously need to go teach you how to cut -" here his lip curled. "- flower petals."

Harry nodded and lowered his head again. Severus sighed again and turned back to his grading. Yes, the boy definitely needed Occlumency.

* * *

After class, Harry and Severus headed to Remus' rooms. They both knew that Harry did know how to cut flower petals.

"Rem!" yelled Severus. Harry flinched from the noise and rubbed his ear. Severus didn't see and yelled again, "Remus!"

"Severus!" spat Remus, holding his own ears. "I have heightened senses, there's no need to shout! I can hear you just _fine!_" He spotted Harry and his face broke out into a smile.

"Harry! Nice to see you again! Come to have a chat? Would you like some tea?"

Harry managed to get out that yes, tea was fine, thanks. He had just sat down when Severus spoke up.

"Remus, we're going to have to teach Harry Occlumency. He needs to be protected." Then Severus sneered at Harry. "And his acting is atrocious."

Harry sipped his tea, not looking anywhere in particular after the barb.

When Harry didn't answer, Remus and Severus glanced at each other. A change of topic would be nice..

Remus sat down next to Harry and put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Occlumency will help you keep your emotions under control. Hopefully, it should help with anything you will feel for me, Severus, and your mate. Everything will probably get overwhelming, so it is best for you to learn it. Will you do it, cub?"

Harry looked up and smiled. "Sure. I was thinking about this kind of issue earlier, but I didn't know about Occlu-thingy."

Severus nickered. Harry gazed at him with wide eye; it was probably the first time he'd really heard Severus laugh.

"Occlumency, Harry." Severus looked to Remus. "When shall I start lessons?"

The answer was prompt. "Tomorrow. I'll get it approved by Albus, and it will be after the 48 hour mark. It'll be good for all parties. Severus nodded. The sooner, the better.

* * *

Again, Harry couldn't sleep. He was perfectly comfortable, but he'd never realized that his roommates were so loud! Harry knew that Seamus usually muttered in his sleep, but he seemed to be carrying on a conversation! Ron and Neville's snores were hurting his ears in their contest on who was louder.

Again, the bite seemed to glow in the moonlight.

Harry growled in frustration and jerked his bed curtains shut, planning to spell them to block all noise out. However, he didn't plan on ripping them right off.

He cursed softly and set the curtain on the foot of the bed.

He pouted for a minute, then rummaged in his trunk to find the Invisibility Cloak. He had to see Remus.

* * *

Fortunately for Harry, Remus was found quickly, in his office. Harry sprinted toward the man and said as he entered the office, "Remus! What is with this 48-hour thing?!"

Remus looked up at him and pain crossed his features for a split second. "Come in, Harry." he said quietly. "Take off the cloak and shut the door, please."

Harry gaped at Remus for a minute before obeying his sire. "How did you know about the cloak?" he asked, taking it off. He had forgotten he was wearing it when he'd seen his sire.

Remus laughed. "Are you kidding? The amount of times I heard James under it... how many times _I_ was under it..."

Harry remained slack-jawed. "You knew my father?"

Remus nodded and relaxed in his chair. "There were four of us. We called ourselves the Marauders..."

* * *

Harry stretched lazily, his eyes still closed. It was morning, and he was just waking up.

Wait. Just waking up?

Harry shot up, looking around. He was in an unfamiliar room. Its primary colors were blue and silver, making Harry think of a mix of Ravenclaw and Slytherin. He got up and opened the door cautiously.

"Good morning, Harry." Remus said, turning away from his newspaper. "How did you sleep?"

Harry blinked. He wasn't used to his Professor inquiring about his rest. "Fine, thanks. Umm..." he looked around, feeling awkward. "Thanks for letting me stay the night. Should I head back up to Gryffindor Tower?"

"Go right ahead. You can use our Floo." said Remus, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Thanks again, Remus." Harry said and grabbed a handful of Floo powder. Remus waved a hand at Harry distractedly and turned back to his paper.

* * *

Amazingly, today Harry managed to stay awake during breakfast, Hermione noted with happiness. He took part in conversation and everything.

"Harry," she asked, on the way to their first class. "Are your 48 hours up yet?"

Harry nodded, a frown creasing his forehead. "Yeah. It wasn't too fun. I even had to leave the dorm last night. It was just too loud! Days are fine, but last night was awful. I think it was because nothing was there to distract me."

He smirked at her. "Your boyfriend sounds like a chainsaw when he snores, by the way."

"Harry!" she shrieked, and laughing, he ran off.

* * *

**Well, there you have it. Chapter four, at your service. Don't expect Chapter five out so early, either. Unfortunately, that was the end of the mini-legal pad that I wrote in. I have to write then type now. Shoot. -pout-**

**I have to say, I was very happy at how many reviews I got last chapter. Even more amazing is the amount of people that are on the alert list! -jaw drop- I am soooooooo happy!**

**Well, I'll be reading Deathly Hallows tomorrow, and I hope that we all enjoy it! Good luck, to all characters! I hope not a lot of people die! -cross fingers- **

**REVIEWER RESPONSES!**

**MagicalWinry, sailorbuterfly and Fk306 animelover: Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

**Ro-Ho: Thanks for putting me on Story Alert. I love that thing! - grin- Yeah, well, I thought that Severus and Remus would go well together. And... in my universe, they do. And JKR _has_ to be aware of the slash. An example that I've been just dying to tell someone is in Order of the Phoenix. "Who's Cedric, your boyfriend?" (Dudley). How many fics do you think that sparked up? Well, I'll end my own rant and hope you read and review:)**

**Tofu-chan: Thanks; I hoped to spice up the HP world by putting in another Harry/Lucius fic. It will take a while for any ACTUAL slash, but it WILL come! Yes! -nod-**

**berkum: Your review made me laugh. Thanks, I needed it today! Ha, I forgot all about Sirius! (Well, not ALL about, but... yeah...) The Shrieking Shack incident will be VERY interesting now. Heh. And yes, Sirius will still be Harry's godfather. This'll be interesting. -evil smile- Thanks for the plot bunny! Ummm... -reads over review- Yeah, Harry fell asleep on his plate. My excuse is that the eggs had a very sticky cheese on them, which made them stick to Harry's hair... yeah. And Hermione got all the cheese out. Yes. -nod- Wow, you have good questions here. Let's see. Hermione did something to Ron. Let's just say that she gave him a stern talking-to. If I have time, maybe I'll do a side story. Because that would be very interesting. Geez, how many times have I said "interesting" in this review?! **

**Please R&R!**

**Best,**

**Cat**


	5. Chapter 5

It was official. Harry hated Occlumency.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Severus growled, sounding exasperated. "It's clear your mind, not show me every memory you've got!"

Harry cringed. "I'm sorry!" he cried. "I'm trying my best.."

Severus huffed in frustration. Instead of saying something he'd regret, he turned and called, "Remus!"

The other werewolf stalked into the room. He took one glance at Harry's cowering form and glared at his mate. "Severus." Remus said, obviously holding back. "Let me explain this to you. Again. Harry is mateless. Now for humans that's bad enough, but for us it's nearly unbearable. Furthermore, he's a new 'wolf in an all-human school. And it's his first full moon tomorrow, which is enough to distract anyone. You're yelling at him, no explaining. He views you as a sire, so not only does he feel frustration for not getting this, but he also probably feels extreme disappointment that he is unable to make you proud. So let him be!"

With that said and done, Remus ushered Harry out of the classroom.

Ah, yes. Just another Occlumency lesson.

"So, Remy," Harry said, setting his tea down abruptly. "About tomorrow night. What's going to happen?"

Remus sighed. "Well, we'll go into the Shrieking Shack. Remember, I showed you that?" Harry nodded and Remus continued, "We'll wait for the full moon and change. Then we wait out the night. It'll be pretty boring." Remus purposely did not mention details about the change. The boy seemed frightened enough as it was; he didn't need to hear true horror tales.

Remus looked at Harry, concerned, as they walked out to the Whomping Willow. The boy was shaking like a leaf, he was so scared. Wide green eyes met Remus' brown ones.

"I'm scared," the boy quietly confided to Remus.

* * *

The older male wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders. They were quickly making their way to the Shrieking Shack, as they were a bit behind schedule. Remus knew that it would be a difficult night for Harry, as new werewolves never reacted well with the Wolfsbane potion. Remus would always be there for the one he now considered as son, though. The Change came when they were only a few yards from the tree. It was, as it always was, quick and painful. Yet soon there were two wolves standing there, one sane and one not.

Moony nudged his nose to Harry's cheek and whimpered in concern.

Formerly green – now amber – eyes caught his, and for a split second, Remus could see the human Harry was struggling to be. Then the wolf took over.

Harry-wolf knew instinctively that Remus was his Sire. He rolled onto his back and bared his throat and belly. Remus nudged the cub back to his feet and led him closer to the tree. He pushed the knot as soon as he got a chance. He knew the fascination with Moony wouldn't last long, and they needed to get into the Shack as soon as possible. The eager-to-please cub stumbled after his Sire all the way into the Shrieking Shack.

Moony was happy. In the Shack, he wouldn't worry about Harry going too crazy. He could attack the furniture and no one would be any the wiser.

Thank Merlin for ancient rumors.

* * *

Harry woke the next morning, happy to be back in human form and sane once more. He grinned, exhausted, when he realized that he wouldn't have to do it again for another month.

Remus came into the room. Harry's wolf, still fresh in his mind, ordered him to show proper protocol. Harry resisted, and Remus came closer, concern written all over his face. It quickly changed to surprise when the teen rolled onto his back, looking at the older man through his bangs, his neck and stomach shown. Remus sighed and sat next to the boy, who was also now sitting up.

"Well." Remus said, breaking the silence. "Are you okay, Harry?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. To tell the truth, I thought it would be a lot worse." He caught his sire's eye. "Thank you for bringing me back in here. The 'me' inside there really appreciated it."

Remus knew – it had to be the same feeling he'd had when the other Marauders had become Animagi. But that's another story.

That day, Harry had a really hard time keeping his eyes open.

It was hard turning into a raging beast then acting like nothing had happened.

During dinner, Hermione turned a calculating (though concerned) eye to her friend, even as she woke him up again, wiping mashed potatoes and gravy from his eyeglasses.

"Harry, I thought we were past this!" she gently scolded.

He made a noise of agreement, even as his eyes slid shut again.

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to her own dinner. If Harry wanted to be obvious, then who was she to stop him?

Sure enough, someone on the other side of the hall was putting two and two together. Draco gave a glance to the just-waning moon, then to his exhausted enemy. Draco would have to get Potter alone.

God, Draco hoped he was right.

* * *

I know, I know, it's short! -hides- But I do have more. And I have to leave for my class soon, and this seemed like a pretty good place to end it. I'll have more up soon.

Now: Review Responses!

Fk306 animelover: Yeah… I feel bad for him. Not only does he have this horrifying bite to deal with, but he can't get any sleep because everything's too loud? Poor kid…

Scorpion-2-ur-poison: Yes indeed… I just imagine that she goes here on ffnet, rubs her hands together, makes sure her kids aren't by the computer, and goes straight for the slash. …Okay, there's an unintentional pun… Anyway! It's great when Ron snores, I agree, but I love his nightmares more. That sounds horrible, but it's true. The tap-dancing spiders… LOL!

MagicalWinry, GuesssWho, Little Karma, Krysta.M, The Cheeky Brat, Sabishii Kage Tenshi, The 8th Sin, Foy: Thanks! Here's an update! Hope you enjoy!

Ruler of the dead: Yeah, I'm glad that Harry has at least one friend that he can turn to. But Ron comes around, I promise!

And many, many MANY thanks to all of those people who are silent supporters with Story/Author Alerting. That warms my heart. Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

Hello again! It's not a year this time! -cheer-

I'm going to go a little out of character and address the reviews first. It shan't take long, so no worries!

Save-a-broom-ride-a-player: Okay, first of all, may I tell you how much I ADORE your name? Second of all, no, this isn't a Draco/Harry fic. I love reading them, but am pretty much crap at writing them. But for some reason, I have no problem writing THIS slash pairing. And join the slashiness! It makes for excellent entertainment! J

Hendrick24884: Here's more! I hope you enjoy it.

Zoeyua: It's quite all right. I'm trying to keep Severus in character, and hope that I'm succeeding. Also, I figure that Ron (figuring from his reaction in PoA) has grown up with a severe phobia of werewolves. He's just trying to cope with the thoughts that his best friend is one of the terrifying bloodthirsty creatures he's heard so much about. Thanks for the feedback on the characters; I'm trying to stay as close as I can to the books… personality wise. Of course, certain liberties must be taken, but… Anyway, Draco's plan (see below) is to basically pull Harry aside and confirm some theories of his.

Chibi Tsuki Hikari: I am terribly sorry… your review made me laugh. Draco, as you'll read, is NOT Harry's mate. See save-a-broom-ride-a-player's review response as to why. And Severus is Remus' mate. To Harry, it'd be practically like incest. I think that I reveal Harry's mate soon. If not, then I'll write that next. Poor kid… all alone (not really) in big bad Hogwarts…

Now onto the story!

* * *

_Last time:_

_Sure enough, someone on the other side of the hall was putting two and two together. Draco gave a glance to the just-waning moon, then to his exhausted enemy. Draco would have to get Potter alone._

_God, Draco hoped he was right._

The next day, Harry rolled out of bed, still feeling tired but much better than the day before. Ron was standing by his bed, one arm in his robes, looking awkwardly at Harry. Harry greeted him cheerily.

"Hey," he responded warily. He averted his gaze and finished dressing as he asked, "So, uh, how was the full moon?"

Harry rummaged in his trunk for his clothes. "Honestly? It sucked. I'm happy that it's not for another month."

Ron snickered, brushing his hair. "So you've got your own kind of monthlies, eh?"

The brunet groaned, but realized that this might help Ron act more normally around him again. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Gotta suck." Ron said.

"Yeah." Harry called out from inside his curtains. He tugged his shirt on over his head. "But at least mine isn't as long as, say, Hermione's or Lavender's."

"Gross!" cried Ron. "I didn't need to think of them like that."

Harry shrugged. "Guess so."

A pause descended, then Ron asked, "Ready? It's almost breakfast time."

"Almost." Harry said, jerking open his curtains and running a brush through his hair. "I'll catch up to you, okay?"

Smiling for the first time in a while, Ron left.

Breakfast passed normally (Harry, for once, did not fall asleep in his food), as did Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws. It was only Herbology with the Slytherins that Harry's day began to go downhill.

"Now, students, partner up!" shouted Professor Sprout. Normally, Harry and Hermione partnered, while Ron and Neville joined forces, but their whole system changed with just six words.

"Can I partner with you, Potter?"

Harry turned at Malfoy's voice. He looked at the apparently-sincere blond, then nodded warily. A Hermione's protest, he said, "I'd better find out what he wants here. With witnesses."

Malfoy led Harry over to a secluded corner and began their assignment.

"So, Potter," he started casually. "How was the full moon?"

Harry paled. "I- I don't know what you're t-talking about." He stuttered. He looked at the others in the classroom; no one else seemed to have heard Malfoy's unbelievably revealing question.

Malfoy snickered. "I hope that's not the line you plan on using every time, Potter. Because, frankly, that poker face sucks."

Harry turned, practically snarling at his classmate. He had an unbelievably strong urge to discipline the other boy, which made him blink in surprise. Malfoy smirked.

"Felt that too, huh? We'll, I'd best hold my tongue around you, wolf."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Me?" Suddenly the other boy was the very picture of innocence. "Why, who said I wanted anything?" As Harry opened his mouth, he continued, "Well, I do, of course, but you know. No assumptions, et cetera. But …" the blond frowned. "Since last month, I have found it remarkably hard to hate you. Or even dislike you a little bit. Now, do you know why that could be?"

Harry shook his head, brows furrowed. "No clue. For a while, I thought you were my mate, but that's impossible."

"Why?"

"Not just because you're you... Just the way I am… it's impossible. But I do think we're 'related' in some way. I just don't know how."

Malfoy got a thoughtful look on his face, not taking offense at Harry's obscure sentence. He knew he'd probably feel the same way if their positions were reversed. "So someone close to me is your mate?" Malfoy said cautiously. As Harry nodded, Malfoy asked, "Is it any of my Housemates?"

Draco watched the other boy examine each of the Slytherins, then shake his head. "Good for you. I couldn't imagine being tied to Crabbe or Pansy for life. But I'm not close to a lot of people."

"You're not?" Harry asked, surprised. "But you're always with people!"

"Yes, but I'm not close to many. There's a major difference there." Malfoy sneered.

Harry snarled at the other boy, "Don't save that tone with me!" He stopped and got an odd look on his face. "Well, that's weird. I'm… but you're…" He turned fully to the blonde and stared him in the eye as if daring Draco to lie to him. "What are you, Malfoy?"

The blond sneered some more, but it seemed weak now. "Why do I have to tell you?"

"Because the two of us are acting civilly. Something must be up with you too. So tell."

"Veela."

"What?"

"I'm part Veela, as is my dad. Hence the pale features, the beauty, the –"

"Arrogance?"

"Very funny, Potter. No, no, it's just that Veela only react to some species. Weres, vamps, and… one more, but that escapes me at the moment. So once you acted so tired after the full moon, it was fairly obvious."

Harry worked in silence for a moment. "Are there any other Veela at school?"

"No. Or else they would be following me around like a puppy." Draco smirked, then boasted, "I'm dom."

Harry looked at the plant and decided it needed water. "I'm a sub, apparently. So that's what I meant; it doesn't make sense."

"Only thing I can think of is if you were like a parental figure. But that wouldn't make sense, as my parents are still together."

Harry shrugged. "Well, what now?"

Draco shrugged back. The two continued to work, this time in silence.

Well, there you have it. Next up: Remus and Severus find that Draco knows, and invite him to dinner for interrogation. I have a chunk of next chapter written, but I need to finish writing it, then type it. I have finals coming up for summer school (not to mention a busy-for-once social life) so the next chapter may be a time in coming. I'll try hard to have it up by the end of the month, though. I hope you enjoyed this one!

Best,  
Cat


	7. NOTICE

My sincerest apologies to any readers who anxiously sped here hoping for an update.

I am sorry to say that I cannot continue Dangers of the Forest, however much I would love to. Unfortunately, real life has reared its ugly head, and I cannot help but try to keep up with things happening everyday rather than fanfics.

I will be writing one-shots every so often, but that will most likely be the extent of it.

So I am officially putting the rest of this story up for adoption. Treat it well, it's my baby. The only thing I was leading up to was that it was going to HP/LM - congrats to whoever guessed that! However, once the story belongs to you, you of course may change the pairings to whatever you would like.

Please drop me a review if you so choose to pick it up.

Best,

Cat


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